Automatic toe closing of stockings



Feb. 25, 1969 L. T. F. BRYAN AUTOMATIC TOE CLOSING OF STOCKINGS FiledApril 28, 1964 United States Patent 3,429,284 AUTOMATIC TOE CLOSING 0FSTOCKINGS Leonard T. F. Bryan, Amersham, England, assignor to DetexomatLimited, High Wycombe, England Filed Apr. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 363,141Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 29, 1963,

16,833/ 63 US. Cl. 1122 11 Claims Int. Cl. Db 23/00, 7/00, 1/00 Theinvention concerns automatic or semiautomatic toe closing of stockings,more especially ladies stockings.

In the manufacture of ladies seamless stockings the stocking is knittedas a tube with the welt at one open end and generally a reinforced bandat the other end which is subsequently converted into the toe of thestocking by stitching the band to form the toe outline and cutting awaysurplus material. Such operating of stitching and cutting away isreferred to as a toe-closing operation.

It is also a well-known procedure to draw the stocking prior to toeclosure onto a former or so-called inspection leg by which the fabric isstretched so that it may be visually inspected for flaws.

An object of the invention is to provide an automatic or semi-automaticprocedure for toe closing and preferably one which enables theoperations of inspection and of toe closure to be undertakensubstantially simultaneously and rapidly by one person. Another objectis to provide apparatus to carry out such procedures.

According to one aspect of the invention a method of closing the toe ofa stocking during manufacture comprises drawing the stocking over acarrier in such manner that the toe portion of the stocking is in apredetermined position with respect to the carrier, moving the stockingrelative to a toe closing means along a predetermined path, and thenceclosing the fabric of the toe portion along a predetermined line.

Preferably the carrier is a leg member over which the stocking isstretched out as it is drawn thereover so as to inspect the stocking forflaws.

Advantageously the stocking in said predetermined position is held byclamp means while the fabric of the toe portion is closed along thepredetermined line.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided apparatusfor closing the toe of a stocking during manufacture comprising acarrier over which the stocking is drawn with the toe portion of thestocking in a predetermined position with respect to the carrier, a toeclosing means, and drive means to move the carrier in a predetermineddirection relative to the toe closing means which is to close the fabricof the toe portion along a predetermined line.

Preferably as stated the carrier is a leg member adapted to have thestocking drawn thereover so as to inspect the stocking for flaws.

An embodiment of a method and apparatus according to the invention ishereinafter described by way of example with reference to theaccompanying diagrammatic drawings in which FIGURES 1 and 2 illustratesuch an apparatus in plan and side view respectively.

The apparatus comprises a carrier or member in the form of a generallyflat inspection leg 1 mounted by way of a head boss 2 and bracket 3 forreciprocating movement by any suitable drive means schematically shownat 25 in a predetermined direction A defined by a guide slot 4 in amounting frame 5. A stretch element 6 is mounted within the leg 1 forreciprocating movement, as indicated at B and by way of an operatingmember 7, lengthwise of the leg to project beyond the toe end of the legby a specified amount. A clamp means is provided formed of a pair ofpaws 8, 9, each faced with resilient 3,429,284 Patented Feb. 25, 1969material 10 and movable towards and away from each other between openand closed conditions. The clamp means is initially in the line ofreciprocation of the leg 1. A toe closing means in the form of a cuttingand sewing machine 11 of per se known kind is located in a positionoffset from said line of reciprocation.

In the advanced position of the leg 1 as shown, it is rotatable througha restricted are C about a vertical axis D of the bracket 3 in advancedposition. The clamp means is movable with the leg through such arc. Aretaining member 12 faced with resilient material 13 is hingedly mountedto be raised and lowered across the leg.

In operation, a stocking S of tubular form is drawn onto the leg 1 whenthe leg 1 is in withdrawn position relative to the clamp means, with areinforced toe portion R extending over the free toe end 14 of the leg,the welt W being further along the leg. The toe portion R of thestocking is arranged in a predetermined position on the leg, usingdentification markings on the stocking and leg, e.g., including theinner edge R of the reinforced toe portion R. If the stocking has areinforced heel, this will similarly be located relative to the leg. Thestocking is inspected for flaws while on the leg.

The leg carrying the stocking is advanced to the position shown in thedrawings, and the element 6 is projected beyond the end of the leg tosupport the toe portion of the stocking as it is passed between theclamp jaws 8, 9 which are then brought to closed condition. The element6 is then retracted leaving the toe portion of the stocking held by theclamp means and projecting just beyond the jaws 8, 9. The leg and clampmeans are then rotated about the axis D through the restricted are C tocarry the stocking end past the cutting and sewing machine 11 whence thetoe closing is effected along a predetermined line T parallel with theadjacent edge of the clamp jaws 8, 9, the surplus material being cutaway.

The leg 1 and clamp means then return to the position shown. Theretaining member 12 is brought down across the stocking welt tofrictionally engage same, the clamp jaws are released, and the leg 1 iswithdrawn along its reciprocation path A and out of the stocking,leaving the latter upon a pile of such toe-closed stockings stacked oneupon another beneath the leg path. Alternatively the toe-closed stockingmay be manually removed from the leg 1. It will be seen that the leg hasthe rough outline of a leg and foot but is of fiat form. The stockingwill therefore be fiat when on the leg 1 and when the latter iswithdrawn the stocking, in a flat condition, is left on the pilereferred to.

The retaining member 12 is then raised, and the sequence of operationsis then repeated with great rapidity, automatically orsemi-automatically.

Although the invention has been specifically described in relation toladies stockings, it is equally as applicable to the toe-closing ofladies, mens and childrens socks or so called half hose. In thisconnection, the term stocking as used throughout the claims appended tothis specification is to be taken to include half hose.

The method and apparatus according to this invention does not, ofcourse, necessarily involve inspecting the stockings for flaws whilethey are mounted on the inspection leg or carrier and the inspectionstep may quite well be dispensed with in certain circumstances. In thiscase, it would not be necessary to stretch the stocking out fully on theleg when mounting it on the leg, provided that the toe portion isproperly drawn on and located for the toe closing operation. Althoughthe stockings have been described as being manually mounted on thecarrier or leg, automatic machinery could be used for this purpose.

I claim:

1. Method of closing the toe of a stocking during manufacture comprisingdrawing the stocking over an elongated carrier having a free end so thatthe toe portion of the stocking is in an extended position with respectto, and adjacent the free end of the carrier;

moving said carrier with said stocking drawn thereover relatively towarda clamp means, when said clamp means is in open position to place theextended toe portion of the stocking between said clamp means;

closing said clamp means over the extended toe portion of the stocking;

moving said clamp means with said toe portion clamped therein relativeto the toe closing means along a predetermined path;

closing the fabric of the toe portion along a predetermined line; and

removing the stocking from the carrier.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the step of moving said carrierincludes moving the carrier in a rectilinear direction.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the step of moving said carrierincludes moving the carrier in a reciprocating movement lengthwise ofsaid carrier to place the stocking toe portion between the clamp means;and then retracting said carrier to leave the stocking toe portionclamped between the clamp means.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the step of closing the clampmeans is carried out while the carrier is between the clamp means, thecarrier being then retracted from bet-ween the closed clamp meansleaving the toe portion of the stocking held by the clamp means.

5. Method according to claim 1 including the step of retaining saidstocking in position while removing the stocking from said carrier.

6. Method according to claim 5 including the step of withdrawing saidcarrier from-said stocking to remove the stocking from said carrier.

7. Method according to claim 1 including the step of moving the carrierfirst in a rectilinear direction and then in a partly circular directionhaving a center intermediate the length of the carrier.

8. Apparatus for closing the toe of a stocking during manufacturecomprising an elongated carrier on which the stocking is to be mountedwith the toe portion of the stocking in a predetermined position withrespect to the carrier;

a toe closing means;

and a stocking toe clamp means movable along a predetermined pathrelative to the toe closing means which is to close the fabric of thetoe portion along a predetermined line, means moving said carrier in adirection toward said toe clamp means clamping said stocking in positionto be seamed by said toe closing means.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 including guide means for said carrierto guide movement along said direction in a reciprocating rectilinearmotion lengthwise of the carrier.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said carrier is fiat and thedirection of motion of said carrier is first in a direction lengthwiseof said elongated carrier and then in a plane of the flat surface of thecarrier in a swinging direction about a center intermediate the lengthof said carrier.

11. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said carrier is secured to amounting bracket; guide means are provided forming an elongated slot;said mounting bracket being located in said elongated guide slot forreciprocating movement therein and further free to turn within saidguide slot to swing said carrier about an arc of a circle having acenter intermediate the length of said carrier.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,948,240 8/1960 Burd et al.112-25 3,351,033 11/1967 Kienel 112262 X 3,191,558 6/1965 Graves 112-2PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. C1. X.R. 112-25, 262

1. METHOD OF CLOSING THE TOE OF A STOCKING DURING MANUFACTURE COMPRISINGDRAWING THE STOCKING OVER AN ELONGATED CARRIER HAVING A FREE END SO THATTHE TOE PORTION OF THE STOCKING IS IN AN EXTENDED POSITION WITH REPECTTO, AND ADJACENT THE FREE END OF THE CARRIER; MOVING SAID CARRIER WITHSAID STOCKING DRAWN THEREOVER RELATIVELY TOWARD A CLAMP MEANS, WHEN SAIDCLAMP MEANS IS IN OPEN POSITION TO PLACE THE EXTENDED TOE PORTION OF THESTOCKING BETWEEN SAID CLAMP MEANS; CLOSING SAID CLAMP MEANS OVER THEEXTENDED TOE PORTION OF THE STOCKING; MOVING SAID CLAMP MEANS WITH SAIDTOE PORTION CLAMPED THEREIN RELATIVE TO THE TOE CLOSING MEANS ALONG APREDETERMINED PATH; CLOSING THE FABRIC OF THE TOE PORTION ALONG APREDETERMINED LINE; AND REMOVING THE STOCKING FROM THE CARRIER.